Catcher Sandy Leon was traded to the Boston Red Sox by the Washington Nationals for cash considerations. The deal was announced yesterday. Leon was the third catcher on Washington’s depth chart, behind starter Wilson Ramos and main backup Jose Lobaton. In 34 major league games with the Nationals over the past three seasons, Leon hit .189 with three doubles, one homer and five RBI. He is a career .236 batter …

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Rusney Castillo made a sliding catch in the 10th inning and threw out the potential tie-breaking run at the plate, then singled and scored in the bottom half to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays yesterday With runners at the corners …

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – Pedro Martinez’s Hall of Fame plaque will have the cap of the Boston Red Sox and John Smoltz’s will have the Atlanta Braves. The Hall of Fame made the announcement yesterday. It said last week that Randy Johnson’s plaque will have the cap of the …

BOSTON – The Red Sox agreed to a $12.5 million, one-year deal with pitcher Rick Porcello and a $2.25 million contract with reliever Junichi Tazawa as they swapped proposed arbitration figures with pitcher Wade Miley and outfielder Daniel Nava. Porcello, a 26-year-old right-hander, was acquired from Detroit last …

WASHINGTON – The Red Sox acquired left-hander Danny Rosenbaum, who had Tommy John surgery in May, from the Washington Nationals for catcher Dan Butler yesterday. Rosenbaum is rehabbing from his reconstructive elbow surgery. He was selected by Washington in the 22nd round of the 2009 amateur draft and …

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – Thousands of people in the Dominican Republic greeted new baseball Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez after he landed yesterday in his homeland aboard a private plane bearing his country’s flag. A caravan greeted …

BOSTON – Left-handed relief pitcher Craig Breslow and the Boston Red Sox have finalized their $2 million, one-year contract. The deal, agreed to in mid-December, was announced by the Red Sox yesterday. Breslow was acquired from Arizona late in the 2012 season. The 34-year-old has pitched in 121 …

BOSTON – Pedro Martinez opened his blazer wide to reveal the skinny torso that has grown only slightly puffier with age. “I wasn’t supposed to be” a Hall of Famer, said the 5-foot-11 right-hander, who was thought early …

BOSTON – As a Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster, Nomar Garciaparra watched Clayton Kershaw become the dominant pitcher in the National League, winning three of the last four NL Cy Young Awards – the last one unanimously. But when …

Former Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez won the prestigious Fuchs Award from the Boston chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. The award for long and meritorious service to baseball is named for Judge Emil Fuchs, the former owner of the Boston Braves. Past winners of the …

BOSTON – Rick Porcello didn’t hesitate when asked to recall memories of pitching in Fenway Park. In his rookie season, he hit Boston’s Kevin Youkilis in the back with the first pitch of the second inning. “There it …

SAN DIEGO – The Red Sox traded third baseman Will Middlebrooks to the San Diego Padres for catcher Ryan Hanigan yesterday. Hanigan was obtained by San Diego from Tampa Bay in an 11-player, three-team deal that became official …

BOSTON – The Red Sox obtained Anthony Varvaro from the Atlanta Braves for Aaron Kurcz in a swap of right-handed pitchers. Varvaro was 3-3 with a 2.63 ERA for the Braves last year, his fifth season in the majors. The Red Sox also sent cash to the Braves. …

BOSTON – Just like that, the Boston Red Sox have a starting rotation again. With two deals announced on Thursday and a third yesterday, the Red Sox have rebuilt their starting rotation this offseason almost as quickly as …